Are you getting enthusiastic? Do you want to get started with polymer clay?

The easiest way is to buy about 5 colours (including white), a set for beginners.
Fimo and Creall-therm are available from packages of about 2 ounces.

Furthermore, you will need the following:

aluminium foil
peeling-knife
brayer
pricker or match
smooth surface to work on
smooth tile
ordinary kitchen over (no microwave)

Most creativity shops sell basic sets. These contain modeling material in several colours, modeling slice and varnish.

To create a mouse as seen in the picture above please follow instructions:

Put your workpiece on the tile, covered in aluminium foil, otherwise it will stick onto the surface of the tile. Knead the modeling material until it is smooth and pliable.
Roll out on smooth surface. If it's green it can be grass, yellow beach, what ever you want.

Mouse with snowman

Do you want to create a gray mouse mix a very little bit of black with your white.

Parts
Use for the body a ball of clay and for the head a smaller one. Use for the coat another colour, the sleeves too. Use for the sleeves a roll of clay, cut in two.
After this you will need 7 smaller balls of clay in the colour of the body for the ears, tail, feet and the hands. He will need a hat, decorate it as you like.

Head
Put a ball between your thumb and your index finger and make it a bit pointed. With your modeling slicer or the peeling-knife you can make a mouth. Put a very small ball of black clay on the tip (the nose). Use very small balls of clay or two pin-heads for the eyes. The ears are made of two small balls of body colour, put the flat end of your modeling slice on one end, see picture. The incisors are made of a little bit of white clay. Put it inside the mouth and attach it well.

Student

Coat
Make a thin rectangular slice for the coat. Put it carefully around the body, fasten it on him. It must be a little bit wider that the body, fold/crease it around him. Put the sleeves on to the coat, at the top and check if the arms are not too long. The collar is made of a small rectangular piece of clay. Put is around his coat and sleeves. He has one button, choose a bright colour. Now you can give him a tail. Roll the clay until the right size emerges and attach it to his body, under his coat.

Feet
From two balls of clay (the same colour as the body) you form the feet. Make them a little bit oval. One side has to be flattened. On this you put the body of the mouse. Carve lines in his feet --> toes.

Finishing the head
You can fasten the head on the collar, be careful not to flatten the form of the head. Put on his ears.

Le maitre

Hands
Use the remaining two small balls. One end of these hands must be put in his sleeves. Make a hole in the sleeve and put in the hand. Carve the fingers into it.

Hat
The cheese thief is wearing a beret and the snowmouse a cap. Use your imagination and try to have him look funny.

Finishing touch
Create a scenery i.e. flowers, cheese, snow.

Finished models are hardened in the oven at 110 C. Hardening time: about 30 minutes.

When you have finished your mouse, please let me know.

For more pictures of mice, click here.

Have fun!